Panzerkampfwagen Leopard
Overview |place of origin = |manufacturers = |num built = Unknown. A mockup may have been built.|ger vk des = VK16.02|company designation = Gefechsaufklärer Leopard|dev from = VK13.03(MAN)|main gun = 5cm KwK 39/1 L/60 (50 rounds)|gun traverse = 360° manual|gun elevation = -9° to +18° manual|coaxial gun = 7.92x57mm MG 42 (2400 rounds)|armour type = Welded|armour = 16 - 50mm|armour hull front = 50mm @ 52°|armour hull sides = 30mm @ 0°|armour hull rear = 30mm @ 33°|armour turret front = 50mm @ 20°|armour turret sides = 30mm @ 30°|armour turret rear = 30mm @ 30°|armour structure frnt = 50mm @ 50°|armour structure side = 30mm @ 43°|armour mantlet = |crew = 3 (Commander/Gunner, Loader/Radio Operator, Driver)|radio = Standard: FuG 2, FuG 5 Command: FuG 8|weight = 21900kg|length = w/gun: 6.45m Hull: 4.74m|width = 3.10m|height = 2.60m|engine = |power weight = 25.1hp/t|type n displacement = |gears = 8 forward, 1 reverse|fuel capacity = 560L Gasoline/Petrol|operational range = Onroad: 500km Offroad: 300km|speed = Onroad: 60km/h Offroad: 30km/h|trench crossing = 2.3m|max fording depth = 5m|suspension = Torsion bars|max grade = 30° from horizontal|vert obstacles = 0.85m|roadwheels = 5|roadwheel make = Steel, rubber edgings|sprocket wheel location = Front|idler sprockets location = Rear, adjustable|track type = Central guide, single pin, steel|links = 96|steering system = Controlled differential, steering wheel and levers|track width = 350mm|designer companies = Daimler-Benz MAN MIAG|period designed = Mid 1941 - January 3rd 1943|dev into = |armour hull bottom = Front: 25mm @ 90° Rear: 16mm @ 90°|armour turret top = 16mm @ 90°|armour structure top = 16mm @ 90°|transmission = Maybach OG 55 11 77|roadwheel diameter = 960mm|ground pressure = 0.71kg/cm²|ground clearance = 0.5m|max inclination = 30°|pitch = 150mm|track ground contact = 2400mm}}The VK16.02 / Panzerkampfwagen Leopard / Gefechtsaufklärer Leopard is a German light tank design. The vehicle proved too heavy for its role and was cancelled before any examples were made. It also did not meet Hitler's expectations of a combat vehicle for the time period. Development The VK16.02 started its development in mid-1941 when MAN received a contract for the completion of five prototype vehicles. By November 1941, MAN had completed a drawing for a wooden model of a VK16.02(M). The VK16.02(M) had the angled armour and track design features borrowed from the VK30.02(M) Panther. It has thicker armour than the panther with 80mm upper plate at 55° from vertical, lower plate was 80mm at 55°. Upper side plates were 60mm at 40°, lower side are 60mm at 0°. Rear plate is 50mm at 30° and the deck and belly are 20mm at 0°. In order to prevent delays and to meet the deadline in time, Wa Prüf 6, in January 1942 turned over the design to MIAG. The turret was developed by Daimler-Benz. When proposals for the 'Panzerkampfwagen Leopard' were shown to Hitler, on 4 June 1942 he decided in favour of the heavier 26t model. He was in favour of increased fordability, with the final design allowing for up to 5 meters of fordability. Hitler also believed that all tanks entering production in 1943 should have much thicker armour, his decision on this was to be considered serious by designing firms. The drawing FKo 252 of the Gefechtsaufklärer Leopard was presented by MIAG to Wa Prüf 6 on 27 July 1942. The design had the following characteristics. Hull length was 5204mm, width 3100mm, lower hull width 1650mm, tracks were 650mm wide and 2420mm apart. 500mm ground clearance, 5 roadwheels of 960mm diameter, 600mm apart, 680mm idler spaced 702mm behind the fifth roadwheel and 630mm above the ground. Idler sprocket 812mm effective diameter (17 track links at 150mm pitch) spaced at 817mm in front of the first roadwheel and 795mm above the ground. In early September 1942, Hitler decided that the goal for the Leopard production should be at a rate of 150 per month, the thinly armoured Leopard was to be removed from the program. In September 1942 the Heeres Waffenamt planned to complete the first production series of the VK16.02 in April 1943, followed by three in May, five in June, seven in July, eleven in August, eighteen in September, and evening out at twenty per month in October 1943 onward. On 13 October 1942 in a meeting with Reichsminister Speer, Hitler was informed that the troops were in favour of a lighter and faster Leopard, the 18t variant was considered more useful than the heavier variant. Hitler pointed out that the armour of a reconnaissance vehicle must consider the various environments they were to operate in, Speer proposed that in any case the Panther could be used as a reconnaissance vehicle instead of the Leopard, stating that the heavier Leopard variant was similar to the characteristics of the Panther. The only important difference being the 5cm gun versus the 7,5cm gun. Hitler then agreed that the lighter Leopard variant should be produced if the Panther could be employed as a reconnaissance vehicle for Panzer units. On 3 January 1943, before the first production series of Leopards were built, Hitler dropped the Leopard from the Panzerprogramm because its armour and armament (even as a reconnaissance vehicle) did not meet the requirements that Hitler set for tanks in 1944. Variants Sturmgeschütz auf Leopard (L/70) Design for a StuG based on the VK16.02. Category:Light Tank Category:Prototype Category:Tank Category:WWII Category:WWII Tank Category:Germany Category:Reconnaissance Vehicle